I Came Back For You
by Empress-Eerian-Sadow
Summary: She left him for another man, but Zidane isn't ready to let Garnet go. GarnetOC and GarnetZidane. A dark fic, deals with abuse and includes an affair. AS COMPLETE AS IT'LL GET!
1. Prologue

AUTHOR'S NOTES: First off, I want to apologize to all the fans of my ongoing fic Stories. Sorry that I'm not out updating that one, but this popped into my head while I was in the bath and wouldn't go away. So here it is.  
  
Second, and most important, this fic was inspired by a song written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It is not, per se, a song-fic, but the song is important. So, all credit where it is due to Sir Elton John. The song is called Cold and is from his 1995 album Made in England.   
  
I hope you enjoy it. I know I liked writing it. And, Sir Elton, if you happen to be reading this, thanks for the wonderful music throughout the years.  
  
Eerian  
  
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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters from that game or Sir Elton John's song COLD. I do, however love all three and felt the need to use them in this story that I am making no money from. It is strictly for my own amusement and the amusement of others via fanfiction.net.  
  
I do own this story however. Do not copy or plagiarize my work or re-post it without my permission.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He thought the words would kill him when she said them.  
  
"I'm sorry, Zidane. I just don't love you anymore."  
  
He'd known she was lying--he could see it in her eyes. But she was trying to do what was best for Alexandria. And staying with him just wasn't it. The country needed money and influence both after the debacle with Queen Bhrane.   
  
The new Regent of Lindblum could provide both.  
  
And five minutes ago, Dagger had told him that she was marrying the bastard.  
  
He understood responsibility. The Genomes and the remaining Black Mages had become his.  
  
But some things transcended responsibility and duty. He thought she knew that by now.  
  
But it didn't matter. She was leaving him.  
  
All he could feel was the pain. And cold. 


	2. You Don't Love Him Anymore

AUTHOR'S NOTES: sorry the prologue was so tiny. I didn't see the need to make it longer. I just worked. But continue on, fair reader! Dark things await! And, maybe--eventually--a happier ending.  
  
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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters from that game or Sir Elton John's song COLD. I do, however love all three and felt the need to use them in this story that I am making no money from. It is strictly for my own amusement and the amusement of others via fanfiction.net.  
  
I do own this story however. Do not copy or plagiarize my work or re-post it without my permission.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
You don't love him anymore  
  
He threw your rag doll out the door  
  
I kept my distance  
  
I held my breath  
  
Love always ends up   
  
Hanging by a thread  
  
Love hurts so much  
  
Love leaves a scar  
  
'I don't love you' is like a steak  
  
Being driven through you heart  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zidane Tribal had been the ambassador for the Genomes and Black Mages in the Regency of Alexandria-Lindblum for six months when Regent Janus started beating his Lady Wife.  
  
It had been at an early breakfast meeting with the Lady Regent when Zidane first noticed the bruises. To be sure, Garnet had managed to hide them fairly well with a liberal application of make-up. Someone who hadn't traveled with her for over a year, and then shared her bed for another probably wouldn't have noticed.  
  
But he had, and he did. And it enraged him. Not once in his whole life had he ever been this angry.  
  
His Dagger deserved better than this.  
  
Somehow, through breakfast, he managed to keep his rage in check. At least until Sir Fratley of Bermecia excused himself to tend other business.  
  
He wasted no time in confronting her about it. "When did he start hitting you?" His voice was rough, tinged with his internal anger.  
  
"I…I don't know what you're talking about, Zidane." Six months apart and he could still read her like a book. The fact that she was a bad liar wasn't helping either.  
  
"I see you're bruised cheek through the make-up, Dagger. You're too careful to do that to yourself." He narrowed his eyes. "How long, Dagger?"  
  
She gave him a pained look, realizing that he wasn't letting this go. "Only about a week." She didn't even try to lie and say he didn't mean it when he hit her. She wasn't that stupid.  
  
They both knew he meant it when he hit her.  
  
A silent tear ran down her cheek, marring her careful make-up job. "I don't know what changed."  
  
"Why don't you fight back, Dagger? I know you can."   
  
She gave him a rueful smile. "How do you think I got this?" She indicated her purple cheek.  
  
Zidane was relieved. At least she wasn't whipped yet. She was still fighting back.  
  
"You don't have to stay, you know." He wasn't sure where the words were coming from, really. "We could just run away together. There are places in Gaia where he could never find us."  
  
More tears followed the first down her cheeks. "You know I can't. I have to stay with my people. Alexandria needs me."  
  
Zidane knew when to admit defeat. At least temporarily. "I know. But keep him away from me from now on. If I see him again, I'll kill him."  
  
They both knew he was telling the truth.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
But I don't care  
  
I came back for you  
  
Love is cruel, but I don't care  
  
I wanted you  
  
And I'm cold  
  
Cold  
  
Cold  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was another week later when Zidane was jolted awake in the pre-dawn hours when a frantic pounding sounded at his door. Somewhat groggy, he'd opened the door to find a battered and bloody Garnet outside in the rain.  
  
He hadn't asked any questions, just pulled her inside his house and into his warm embrace. She'd been shivering, and soaking wet, but he never noticed. All he could do was whisper quiet comfort to the woman he loved as she cried into his chest.  
  
He was ready to storm the palace and kill that bastard Janus right now.  
  
But his common sense prevailed, as it often did. When she'd managed to stop crying, Zidane led Garnet to the bathroom and dressed her cuts and bruises.  
  
Her arms and back were laced with welts. Both eyes were swollen and would be very black by sunrise. Her lips were split and bleeding. But the worst of all was how she just sat there, no longer feeling the pain as Zidane took care of her injuries. It was as if this most recent beating and the subsequent run to his house had taken all the spirit that was left inside Garnet til Alexandros XVII.  
  
When he tucked his princess into his bed, she stirred enough to whisper, "Thank you, Zidane."  
  
Zidane felt the cold void she'd left in him when she and Janus had married fill up with a cold, searing hatred. 


	3. Dead Man

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters from that game or Sir Elton John's song COLD. I do, however love all three and felt the need to use them in this story that I am making no money from. It is strictly for my own amusement and the amusement of others via fanfiction.net.  
  
I do own this story however. Do not copy or plagiarize my work or re-post it without my permission.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
You said don't cry to me  
  
He said I'm a dead man if you leave  
  
I have no feelings, I have no heart  
  
Love always cuts out  
  
The warm and tender part  
  
Love hurts so much  
  
Love cuts so deep  
  
It's a hot sweat and a cold shake  
  
Like drowning in your sleep  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Garnet had insisted on going back to the palace the next morning. "Janus will worry about me. And then it will just be worse."  
  
"Dagger, please. Don't go back. He doesn't love you." He felt tears in his eyes and his throat close. "I do."  
  
"I have to, Zidane. Love…doesn't matter anymore. It never had anything to do with my marriage." She turned to leave.  
  
Before she had taken three steps, Zidane grabbed her and spun her around. "It still matters. That's why you came to me."  
  
  
  
"I know," she whispered.  
  
Neither one knew which had initiated the kiss. It was fiery, containing six months of pent up passion. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms gently around her sore back. She clung to him like a lifeline back to the real world.  
  
They didn't remember going back to the bed. In moments, clothes were torn away, and flesh met flesh. They devoured each other--each starving for the other after far too long apart.  
  
When she felt him penetrate her finally, Garnet knew she'd been a fool to throw Zidane aside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was nearly noon when Garnet stepped through the door of her bedchamber. Steiner had been frantically searching for her outside the palace on her return. When he saw the condition of her face, he'd gone livid--demanding the name of the brigand responsible.  
  
She was grateful that he'd actually shut up when she told him too. Apparently, the last three years had taught him some tact finally.  
  
Garnet was fully prepared to strip out of her bloodied clothes and fall into bed again, but a voice from behind her door stopped her.  
  
"Where did you go, love? I was worried."  
  
She turned to see Janus push her door closed.  
  
"I…I went for a walk." She couldn't have looked him in the face if she hadn't been lying.  
  
"A walk where, love?" he grabbed her chin, squeezing the bruises painfully. "Did you go and see the monkey?"  
  
"I went to see Uncle Cid."  
  
He drew his other hand back and struck her. "Lies! Why must you always lie to me?!"  
  
She said nothing.  
  
Janus knelt down to where she was huddled on the floor. "Mark my words, Garnet. If I catch you with him, I will kill him. And I will make you watch."  
  
She nodded weakly. "Yes, Janus."  
  
"Good." He tipped her head up to him, and planted a firm kiss on her lips. "I expect you for dinner tonight."  
  
"Yes, Janus."  
  
He seemed satisfied with that and left the room.  
  
Garnet gathered herself into a ball and rocked back and forth on the floor crying. "Oh, mother…what do I do?" 


	4. Love is Cruel

A/N: Sorry this one took so dang long to get out. When my computer got its virus, I lost an entire chapter of this story because it crashed just before I got to save. That just ruined all motivation I had to work on it, cause I was sooooo frustrated. But I managed to crank out this little baby chapter, and that gave me an idea for how I can get this ball rolling again. Yay! But, I've got some new fics in the works too, so things may not move as quickly as we'd all like. I do promise an update every two weeks tho, until its finished. So be patient, gentle readers. I won't forget this one.  
  
Eerian  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters from that game or Sir Elton John's song COLD. I do, however love all three and felt the need to use them in this story that I am making no money from. It is strictly for my own amusement and the amusement of others via fanfiction.net.  
  
I do own this story however. Do not copy or plagiarize my work or re-post it without my permission.

* * *

But I don't care  
  
I came back for you  
  
Love is cruel, but I don't care  
  
I wanted you  
  
And I'm cold  
  
Cold  
  
Cold

* * *

She was dreading the state dinner that Janus was forcing her to attend. It was bad enough that palace gossip already had news of her condition all over the capital--and a good portion of the regency no doubt. But to have to face the questions and stares of every ambassador and courtesan at the palace would really be too much for her.  
  
Garnet winced as Beatrix smeared salve over the welts on her back. Of all the people in the palace, the Captain of the Guard was the only person she knew she could trust with the task. Well, Beatrix and Steiner. But Janus could have turned any number of other people against her.  
  
"Why do you not use your magic to heal yourself?" Beatrix asked her as she worked.  
  
"He just beats the bruises back into me." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Worse than they were before."  
  
"Why don't you leave him?" The soldier made it sound so simple. Just leave him, like the last six months had never happened. Get a divorce and it would be like things had never changed.  
  
But she knew it wouldn't work.  
  
"The people need me," she said lamely.  
  
"That is not why." Beatrix moved so that she was facing Garnet. "The people need a ruler who is whole in mind and body. What is your real reason?"  
  
She was silent for a long moment. Her voice was barely audible when she answered. "He'll kill Zidane."  
  
Beatrix had no wise words to offer as her Queen collapsed, sobbing, into her arms. All she could do was hold the girl and let her cry. 


	5. Love Leaves a Scar

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters from that game or Sir Elton John's song COLD. I do, however love all three and felt the need to use them in this story that I am making no money from. It is strictly for my own amusement and the amusement of others via fanfiction.net.  
  
I do own this story however. Do not copy or plagiarize my work or re-post it without my permission.

* * *

Love hurts so much  
  
Love leaves a scar  
  
'I don't love you' is like a stake  
  
Being driven through your heart

* * *

Dinner had been the horrid affair that she'd thought it would be. The courtiers had indeed gossiped and stared, with absolutely no regard for whether or not she was within earshot. The worst of the rumors said that Zidane had been the one who'd beaten her, but Sir Fratley had done wonders to suppress that one.  
  
But Janus had taken a delight in her discomfort in her distress that was sadistic. There had been no way she could avoid his notice long enough to escape the dining hall.  
  
The only light in the entire dinner had come during the final course. Sir Fratley had invited her to Burmecia for the birth of his first children. Garnet had agreed readily, both to get away from Janus and to see her old friend Freya. And then, during a moment when Janus had his back turned, the Dragon Knight had whispered in her ear: "If you want to leave him, all of Burmecia will be behind you."  
  
She'd smiled. Even if she couldn't leave Janus, it had been comforting that Fratley had made such a promise. It was comforting that he'd realized what was going on and wanted to help her.  
  
Now, she was sprawled on her bed, face pressed into a pillow, sobbing her eyes out. It wasn't fair that she was denied anything resembling happiness after all she'd done for her people--and the whole world. She'd accepted Janus' proposal of marriage so that she could bring stability and prosperity back to her people; the least fate could have done was to make him nice to her.  
  
Instead, she'd married a sadistic tyrant.  
  
And, at the last meeting to discuss the economy of the Regency of Alexandria-Lindblum, the chamberlain had told her that Alexandria was supplying all the revenue to the treasury. Lindblum was providing exactly nothing to the 'alliance.'  
  
She'd never needed to marry Janus to help her people. She'd only needed to give things a bit more time.  
  
Janus apparently had not been the excellent successor that Uncle Cid that thought he was when he stepped down. Idly, Garnet wondered if Cid even knew what was going on. Probably not, or he'd have throttled Janus for the way he treated her, weather he was regent or not.  
  
She wished Zidane was here. Things always made more sense when he was around. It didn't matter if Janus caught them together. He never came to her room with guards, and if he tried to kill Zidane alone, he'd never be able to take the former thief.  
  
And if she was here when it happened, Shiva and Ramuh would both fit in this room.  
  
Suddenly, something clicked in her mind, and Garnet stopped crying._ I'm such an idiot._  
  
Even if he sent a hundred guards against them, there was no way that Janus could kill Zidane if the two of them were together. Even if they were unarmed and naked her Eidolons were more than enough to protect them.  
  
She allowed herself a moment to feel stupid for her lack of thinking. Then she got up from her bed to change her clothes.  
  
Five minutes later, Tiger Racket in hand, Dagger dropped off of her balcony and into the courtyard. Deftly dodging Steiner's Pluto Knights as they patrolled, she headed into Alendria City and toward the house Zidane kept there. 


	6. I Wanted You

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, any of the characters from that game or Sir Elton John's song COLD. I do, however love all three and felt the need to use them in this story that I am making no money from. It is strictly for my own amusement and the amusement of others via fanfiction.net.  
  
I do own this story however. Do not copy or plagiarize my work or re-post it without my permission.

* * *

But I don't care  
  
I came back for you  
  
I don't care  
  
I came back for you  
  
Love is cruel  
  
But I don't care  
  
I wanted you  
  
And I'm cold  
  
Cold  
  
Cold

* * *

Zidane answered the knock on his door to see Dagger standing on his stoop dressed in the white shirt and orange jumpsuit she'd worn while they were traveling. She held her Tiger Racket in her right hand and had a very determined look on her face.  
  
"Dagger?"  
  
"Are you going to let me in, or just stand there and stare?" She flashed him a bright smile around her bruises and split lips.  
  
"Huh? Oh, right." He backed up quickly and let her in. "What's going on?"  
  
"Well," she set her racket on the floor near her favorite chair, "I'm going to spend the night here. Then, in the morning, you and I are going to make a state visit to Burmecia. We're going to stay long enough for Freya to have the babies, me to get a divorce and for the alliance between Alexandria and Lindblum to completely dissolve."  
  
Zidane was speechless for a moment. "You mean it?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Can I ask what made you decide all this?"  
  
"I realized that I was being an idiot." Dagger moved closer to him and put her arms around his neck. "I promise, I'll explain everything on the way. But right now, I need you."  
  
Zidane didn't waste any time. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He faltered a bit as he set her down, but she smiled at him.  
  
"Relax, Zidane. I came back for you. I love you--and that's what matters."  
  
"God, Dagger, I never thought I'd hear you say that again." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you, too."

* * *

A/N: OK, I know that was a bit of a crappy ending, but I decided to break this up into two stories and drop the rating on this one. sorry, tho, you'll all have to wait a while for the sequel. I'm going to finish up at least one other fic before I start the next part of this one. I just have too many going right now. glad you've stuck with me this far tho. I'll see you all again soon here.  
  
Eerian 


End file.
